Fact Sheet http://pib.nic.in/archieve/factsheet/fs2000/noncenergy.

html

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY

ndia has developed one of the world’s largest programmes for renewable energy, covering the entire gamut of technologies including biogas,
biomass, solar energy, wind energy, small hydro power, geothermal energy and other emerging technologies. A variety of renewable energy
systems and products are now commercially available which are also economically viable.

The new and renewable energy technologies are making a great revolution mainly in isolated areas, where it is difficult to provide electrical
energy through the national grid. The biogas technology, improved biomass stoves, biomass gasifers etc. have provided a new life style to villagers.
Street lights and domestic lighting systems energised by Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV), pump sets powered by solar power, and biomass gasifers for
power generation have given new hope to those living in isolated areas and small islands. The wind farms are feeding thousands of units of power
everyday into the grid. A total power generating capacity of over 1300 MW has so far been added from renewable energy sources energy sources,
which constitutes 1.5% of the total installed capacity in the country.

Estimated Potential for Renewable

Sources/Systems Potential

Biogas Plants (Nos) 12 million

Improved Chulhas (Nos) 120 million

Biomass 19,500 MW

Solar Energy 20 MW/sq.km

Wind Energy 20,000 MW

Small Hydro power 10,000 MW

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Ocean Thermal Energy 50,000 MW

Urban and Industrial Wastes 1,700 MW

Various policy and support measures initiated from time to time in the country have given a big boost to the spread of a number of renewable
energy technologies. India is the only country in the world with an exclusive Ministry to deal with this sector. The Ministry of Non-Conventional
Energy was created in 1992 as the nodal agency of the Government of India. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) was
established as the only agency of its kind in the world dedicated to promotion and financing of renewable energy projects.

Rural Energy

A major achievement has been in the area of cooking energy in rural areas with the establishment of 3 million family size biogas plants and 32
million improved wood stoves. India possesses the second largest numbers of biogas plants in the world. The biogas plants and improved wood
stoves presently in use are resulting in a saving of over 13 million tonnes of fuelwood every year, besides producing 45 million tonnes of enriched
organic manure.

To propagate large-scale use of biogas technologies, financial subsidy is provided for installation of biogas plants on a turnkey basis with free
maintenance for first three years. Against a potential setting up of about 12 million biogas plants based on cattle dung, about 3 million plants have
been set up, thus covering 25% of the potential. These programmes were initiated with the setting up of the National project on Biogas
Development (NPBD) in 1981-82.

The National Programme on Improved Chulha (NPIC) launched in 1986-87, plans to replace traditional stoves with thermal efficient ones.
The Programme aims at conservation of fuel, reduction of smoke in kitchens and check on deforestation. A total of 32 million thermal efficient
Chulhas have been installed, covering about 27% of the estimated potential of 120 million households. These are expected to save 10 million tonne
of fuel wood per annum.

India has the largest number of biomass gasifier systems in the world, producing 34 MW electricity. A biomass gasifier is a device which
converts fuelwood and agricultural residues into a producer gas through thermo-chemical process. Fuelwood based biomass gasifier systems upto
500KW capacities have been developed indigenously and are manufactured in the country. Similarly technology for making biomass briquettes
from agricultural residues and forest litter at both household and industrial levels has been developed.

Energy Park scheme under Special Area Demonstration Programme (SADP) helps to create awareness about the benefits of rural energy
devices.

Solar Energy

India receives solar energy equivalent to 5,000 trillion KWH/year (20 MW/sq.km per annum). There are 250-300 sunny days in most parts of the
country. Research and development efforts to harness solar energy were initiated at the National Physical Laboratory in 1957.Today, India is the

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third largest producer of solar cells and modules in the world. Presently, solar energy is being utilised through two different routes – solar thermal
and solar photovoltaic route.

Solar energy can be converted into thermal energy with the help of solar collectors and receivers. The solar thermal devices are being utilised
for water heating, space heating, cooking, drying, water desalination, industrial process heat, refrigeration systems etc. Box type solar cookers are
quite common in India. Over 4,87,000 box type solar cookers have been sold till date. Under the solar thermal power programme., a 140 MW
integrated solar combined cycle power plant and 35 MW solar steam power generating system with a 105 MW conventional power system has
been approved. Over 500,000 square meters of collector area has so far been installed ranging from domestic water heaters of 50-100 litre capacity
in about 50,000 homes to industrial and commercial systems of upto 2,40,000 litres of hot water per day.

Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Technology enables conversion of solar radiation into electricity through photovoltaic systems based on single crystal
cells of silicon. Sagar Island in West Bengal, has become a solar island capable of meeting all energy needs from solar energy.. Large number of
solar lanterns and solar pumps, aerogenerators, solar water pumps are operating in the country. A scheme has been launched to install SPV power
projects of capacity 25 to 100 kW for two niche applications namely roof top systems on public building and distributed grid T&D support systems
in remote rural areas.

Over 700,000 solar PV systems aggregating to about 57 MW are operational in the country, which makes this the largest such deployment in the
world. They involve around 30 different types of systems for rural, remote area and commercial applications, including home and street lighting,
water pumping and rural telecommunication systems. Solar lighting systems are now being used in 380,000 homes, contributing to substantial
savings in kerosene. About 1,90,000 rural radio telephones are also being powered by solar energy.

Wind Energy

Wind power has been recognised as one of the ‘crowning achievements’ of renewable energy in India. India has now become the fourth largest
wind power user in the world with a accumulative capacity of 970 MW. According to the state of the world report 1998 brought out by the World
Watch Institute, USA, India has been recognised as a new wind superpower. A number of wind energy estates have been established.

Biomass Power/Cogeneration

Biomass power/Cogeneration Programme aims at the optimum utilisation of a variety of biomass materials for power generation through the
adoption of efficient and state-of-the-art conversion technologies. So far a total capacity of 222 MW biomass power generating systems have been
installed in the country. Projects of capacity of 332 MW are under installation.

Small Hydro Power

India has the potential to produce nearly 10,000 M.V.from small hydro power projects. So far 271 projects in 25 States, aggregating 217 MW
have been completed and 131 projects in 22 States with 133.18 MW are under construction

Power from Wastes

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It is estimated that there is a potential to generate 1000 MW of power from urban and commercial waste, and 700 MW from industrial wastes in
the country. It has been estimated that, Every year about 27 million tonnes of solid waste and about 4400 million cum. of liquid waste are
generated by municipal and urban sector in the country. Projects with an aggregate capacity of about 15 MW equivalent have been installed
utilising wastes such as distillery effluent, black liquor, wastes from tanneries and abattoir houses.

Other Emerging Technologies

During the last few decades, several new technologies have been projected as the potential energy sources to meet the energy requirements of
different sectors. These include energy from hydrogen and fuel cells, geo-thermal sources and ocean. Hydrogen energy has proven to be the most
important power source for the future for meeting the emergency requirements of various sectors, including transport sector.

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